Oscillating thread controller for sewing machines



Feb. 9, 1932.

C. F. RUBEL OSGILLA'IING THREAD CONTROLLER FOR SEWING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 20. 1928 @EQ I g 1 Jill m C. F. RUBEL Feb. 9, 1932.

OSCILLATING THREAD CONTROLLER FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Sept. 20, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Feb. 9, 1932. c, RUBEL 1,844,602

OSCILLATING THREAD CONTROLLER FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Sept. 20, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Feb. 9, 1932. c. F. RUBEL 1,844,602

OSCILLA'IING THREAD CONTROLLER FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Sept. 20, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 mid. ,4 l1

a/ X a J 4] 4'0 Y 5 40 93 a 9 a dlimmqg Patented Feb. 9 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES F. RUBEL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNION SPECIAL MACHINE COMPANY, OEOHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS OSCILLATING THREAD CONTROLLER FOR SEWING MACHINES Application. filed September 20, 1928.

, The invention relates to new and useful improvements in thread controllers for sewing machines, and more particularly to a thread controller which oscillates about a fixed center in its thread controlling movements.

An object of the invention is to provide an oscillating thread controlling element having guides associated therewith so that the threads engage the thread controlling element. in a plane at right angles to the'plane of oscillation of the element, and wherein means is provided for casting the threads off from the thread controlling element while the same is on its oscillating movement.

A further object of the invention is to provide an oscillating thread controlling element a of the above type wherein the relative position-of the cast-off member and the thread engaging portion of the controller may be varied for varying the time of casting olf the thread from the oscillatingcontroller.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in partbehereinafter more I fully disclosed.

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a sewing machine having the improved oscillating thread controller applied thereto for controlling the looper thread.

Fig. 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section on the line 22 of Fig. 1 showing the relative positions of the parts with each looper at the end of its forward stroke.

Fig. 3 1s a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the relative position of the p arts with each p 40 looper at the end of its backward stroke.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, certain of the parts being omitted for clearness. I

Fig.5 is aside View on an enlarged scaleof the supporting bracket for the cast-oif member, showing the cast-olfmember applied thereto. i

Fig. 6 is a plan vlew of the same.

Fig. 7 1s a plan view of the thread engaging member at the outer end of the OSCllltLting thread controlling arm.

Serial No. 307,149.

engaging said oscillating member pass across the thread engaging portion thereof in a di reotion substantially at right angles to the axis of oscillation of said thread controlling member. The thread passes through spaced thread guides and the oscillating thread controlling member engages the thread or threads betweenthe guides and bends the same out of its straight path of travel,thus taking up on the thread. As the oscillating thread controlling member continues its movement of drawing. thread, the threads are brought into contact with a stationary cast ofl' member. This stationary cast-off member gradually slides the thread along the thread engaging face of the oscillating thread controlling member and casts the same into a slot leading into said oscillating thread controlling member in a plane at right angles to the axis of oscillation of said thread controlling member.

The oscillating thread controlling device is particularly adapted for use in connection with a looper mechanism of a sewing machine. Where two or more loopers are used the thread controlling member will have independent thread engaging faces for each looper and as the threads run across the thread controlling member in a direction at right angles to the axis of oscillation thereof, there will be no tendency by the movement of the oscillating member to crowd the threads one on top of another. There is also an independent cast-oft portion cooperating with each thread for casting it off from the oscillating thread controlling member.

Referring more in detailto the drawings,

the invention is shown as applied to a sewing machine which includes a supporting bed 1 carrying bearings 2 and 3 for the main actuating shaft 4. Also mounted in suitable bearings 5 and 6 adjacent the main shaft bearings is a looper supporting shaft 7. The shaft 7 is provided with collars 8 and 9 which prevent said shaft from endwise movement in its bearings. Mounted on the shaft 7 is an arm 10 which is pivotally connected to an eccentric strap 11. The eccentric strap cooperates with an eccentric 12 on the main shaft and this givesthe looper supporting shaft 7 an oscillation for imparting to the loopers a needle avoiding movement. Mounted on this shaft 7 is a looper rocker supporting frame 13 carrying at the opposite ends thereof pivotal parallel rocking arms 14:, 14, the upper ends of which are connected by a supporting bar 15. The bar 15 is slotted as indicated at 16. This slot extends from a point adjacent one end of the bar to a point adjacent the other end thereof. Secured to the supporting bar and looper holders 18. Said looper holders 18 are secured to the bar by suitable screws 17 which permit the holders to be usted for shifting the operating position of the looper holders. Each looper holder carries a looper 19. These loopers are of the thread carrying type and are of the usual construction and are mounted for independent cooperation with the needles of the sewing machine.

Inasmuch as this supporting bar is uniform in construction and the slot extends from a point adjacent one end to a point adjacent the other end thereof, the loopers may be shifted along its length to any desired position thereon. When the arms 14 for the bar 15 are oscillated said supporting bar will be given a parallel rule motion and the loopers will move so as to cross the needle path at the same level regardless of the shifted positon of the loopers. The arms 14. are oscillated by means of a link 20 connected to a ball stud carried by one of the arms as indicated at 20a. Said link 20 is only shown in part in broken lines in ig. 2. The other end of this link is connected to a ball stud mounted at the outer end of an arm 21. The arm 21 is formed as an integral part of a sleeve 22. This sleeve is secured to a shaft 23 mounted for oscillations in bearings 24 and 25 carried by the bed 1 of the machine. Also formed integral with the sleeve 22 is an arm 26 carrying a ball stud at its outer end. An eccentric strap 27 engages said ball stud and cooperates with an eccentric 28 on the main shaft. This train of mechanism just described givesthe loopers their oscillating movements into and out of the needle thread loops.

Mounted on the standard 2 forming. one of the bearings for the main shaft-is a bracket member 29 which is provided with spaced arms 30 and 31. The arm 30 is provided with thread eyes 30a and the arm 31 is provided with thread eyes 31a. The threads pass from the supply through suitable tensions and thence through the opposed thread eyes 30a and 31a, and from the thread eyes 31a the threads are led to the loopers.

Secured to the arm 21 by suitable screws 21a is a bracket member 32 supporting at its free end the take-up member 33. This forms the oscillating thread controlling member for the looper threads. The take-up member 33 is formed with a slot 33a and a suitable screw passing through the slot is threaded into the outer end of the bracket member 32. This provides an adjustable connection for the take-up member 33 so that it may be shifted on the arm which supports the same. A shank portion of this take-up member alongside of the slot 33a is provided with parallel depending wings which engage the side faces of the bracket member 32 for insuring that the take-up member shall be rigidly supported by the arm. The take-up member oscillates about the axis of the shaft 23 as a center, and moves back and forth between the spaced thread arms 30 and 31. Said take-up memher is curved at its upper and lower faces so as to lie in the path of oscillation of the same. This take-up member at the free end thereof includes an upper thread engaging portion 36 and a lower thread engaging portion 35 which are connected and supported by a bridging portion 37. The thread engaging portion 36 lies in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of oscillation of the bracket member 32. The take-up member is provided with slots 38 and 33. The portion 36 of the thread engaging face 36 is adapted. to engage the thread passing through one pair of thread eyes 30a and 31a, while the thread engaging portion 36" engages the other thread passing through the other pair of thread eyes. The thread passing through the thread eyes and across these thread engaging faces moves in a plane at right angles to the axis of oscillation of the shaft 23, and therefore, when this take-up member 33 engages the thread as it passes between the thread eyes it will bend the threads for drawing on them, but will not in any way tend to cause one thread to roll onto another. The threads are held separated from each other. This enables the thread controlling device to cooperate with independent threads without any interference of one thread with another. The thread controlling device is, therefore, especially adapted for a sewing machine having a plurality of needles and loopers cooperatin therewith for forming independent lines of stitching.

Cooperating with this take-up member is a cast-off member for casting the threads off from the thread engaging faces 36 and 36 by moving the threads along said faces, into member is indicated at 40 in the drawings.

The bracket arm 29 has an extension" 39 to which the cast-off member is secured by a suitable screw. This cast-off member is rigidly attached to the bracket arm. The castoif member is disposed so that the upper member 36 of the take-up member passes above the cast-off member40, .while the member 35 of the take-oft member passes beneath said cast-off member 40. The cast-off member is providcdwith slots 41. As indicated in Fi of the drawings, each slot has an inclined portion 41a, which is adapted-to engage the looper threads indicated at a, a, in the drawings. As the take-up member moves thethreads into engagement with these inclined portions 41a, the threads will be crowded or forced laterally along the thread engaging faces 36' and 36, until finally the threads are brought into alignment with. the slots 38 and 38 respectively. At this time the threads pass into the slots and are free to be drawn up astheslots extend a suflicient distance into the take-up member so that the threads may become substantially straight and unbent between the thread eyes 30a and 31a. The essential feature of this cast-oif is the positive forcing ofthe' threads along the thread engaging faces of the movable member until they are cast 0E from said movable thread engaging faces When this thread controlling mechanism is applied to the control of the looper threads, as illustrated in the drawings, the parts are preferably so timed that when the loopers start on their retracting movement the thread engaging faces 36 and 36 will engage the respective looper threads and bow or bend the threads so as to take up the slack formed by the retracting movement of the loopers. The needles are on their way down, and it is essential that the looper threads between th'e eyes of the loopers and the previous stitches shall be held taut until the needle points are well entered into their respective thread triangles. The take-up member engaglng the looper threads will keep the three ds between the eyes and the material taut for the purpose stated. Shortly after the a needle points have entered their triangles the looper threads on the thread engaging faces of the take-up member will come into contact with the inclined faces 41a of the cast-ofi' member and as the take-up member conthis time the needles are well down into the thread triangles and the looper threads may become slack. As the loopers continue their retracting movement to their extreme rearmost positions, slack is given to the loopers for this purpose. When the take-up member moves in the opposite direction the threads will be Withdrawn from the slots 38 and 38' and when said take-up member is free from engagement with the threads the slack will be taken from the looper threads and they will again be positioned so that on the next forward movement of the take-up member said threads will again be engaged and taken up in the manner described. This thread controlling mechanism, as embodied in the structure illustrated, operates only once on the thread in each stitch cycle and at the time when the loopers are beginning their retractingmovement for the purpose of drawing the thread taut between the eye of the looper and the previous stitch to insure that the needle points will pass into their respective thread triangles.

It is obvious, of course, that the threadcontrolling mechanism may be used in other types of machines and in connection with otherstitch forming elements where it is desired to take up slack in the thread and to give up slack at a certaintime, while the take-up member continues its movement. 1t

is especially useful in connection with a pluralityof threads as the takingup and casting oil of each thread is entirely independent of the other.

It is. obvious that minor changes in the aide tails of construction andthe arrangement of the partsimay be made without departing from the-spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 0 1 .Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentis: i y a 1. A thread controlling mechanism for sewing machines including an oscillating thread controlling device having independent threadlengaging members, independent thread guides associated with said thread engaging members and disposed so that the threads are led into engagement with the thread engaging members at spaced points and in planes at right angles to the axis of oscillation of the thread engaging members, and a stationary member cooperating with said thread engaging members for casting the threads off from said thread engaging members during the continued movement thereof. V

2. A thread controlling mechanism for sewing machines including an oscillating thread controlling devicehaving a thread engaging member provided with a thread engaging face and a slot at one SlClB of said face, SflId fELCB being disposed in a line at right anglesto the plane of oscillation of said member and said slot being disposed in a plane parallel with the plane of oscillation of said member, thread guides associated with said thread engaging member and disposed so that the thread is led into engagement with said member in a plane at right angles to the axis of oscillation of said member, and a stationary member cooperating with said thread engaging member and having an inclined face engaging the thread and forcing the same along the thread engaging face of said member and casting said thread into said slot.

3. A thread controlling mechanism for sewing machines including an oscillating thread controlling device having a thread engaging member, said thread engaging member being provided with spaced thread engaging faces for independent threads and a slot at the end of each thread engaging face, said thread engaging faces lying substantially in a line at right angles to the plane of oscillation of said member and said slots lying in a plane parallel with the plane of oscillation of said member, thread guides associated with said thread engaging member and disposed in pairs for guiding independent threads into engagement with the thread engaging faces, and a stationary member (:0- operating with said thread engaging member and having inclined faces for engaging the respective threads and forcing the same along the thread engaging faces and casting the same into said respective slots.

4. A thread controlling mechanism for sewing machines including an oscillating thread controlling device having a thread en gaging member, said thread engagingmember being provided with spaced thread engaging faces for independent threads and a slot atthe end of each thread engaging face, said thread engaging faces lying substantially in a line at right angles to the plane of oscillation of said member and said slots lying in a plane parallel with the plane of oscillation of said member, thread guides associated with said thread engaging member and disposed in pairs for guiding independent threads into engagement with the thread engaging faces, a stationary member cooperating with said thread engaging member and having inclined faces for engaging the respective threads and forcing the same along the thread engaging faces and casting the same into said respective slots, and means whereby the oscillating position of said thread engaging member may be varied.

5. A thread controlling mechanism for sewing machines including a thread controlling element having spaced thread engaging faces, means for moving said element back and forth, thread guides associated with each of said thread engaging faces and so disposed that an independent thread is led into contact with each thread engaging face in a plane at substantially right angles thereto, and means cooperating with each thread engaging face for shifting the thread laterally thereon and casting the same from the thread engaging face.

6. A thread controlling mechanism for sewing machines including an oscillating thread controlling element having spaced thread engaging faces, thread guides associated with each of said thread engaging faces and so disposed that an independent thread is led into contact with each thread engaging face in a plane at substantially right angles to the axis of oscillation of the thread controlling element, and means cooperating with each thread engaging face for shifting the thread laterally thereon and casting the same from the thread engaging face.

7. A thread controlling mechanism for sewing machines including an oscillating thread controlling element having spaced thread engaging faces, thread guides associated with each of said thread engaging faces and so disposed that an independent thread is led into contact with each thread engaging'face in a plane at substantially right angles to the axis of oscillation of the thread controlling element, and a stationary member having inclined thread engaging faces adapted to cooperate with the respective thread engaging faces on the oscillating thread controlling element for shifting the threads laterally thereon and casting the same from the thread engaging faces.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

CHARLES F. RUBEL. 

